The Posterity Project

And the Academy Award goes to... Nostalgia!

2012-02-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

A still photo from "The Artist," one of the nine films nominated for "Best Picture"

The 84th Academy Awards will be announced later today, and this year's list of nominees is awash in nostalgia. According to Associated Press film writer, David Germain, "Film itself has been around for well over a century, and Sunday’s Oscar nominees span every decade of the last hundred years, with an unusual emphasis on the history and artistry of cinema’s earlier days."

I don't think it's any surprise that a majority of the films nominated for the Oscar's "Best Picture" award are set in the past. A prolonged recession tends to make people take a fond look back to a simpler time. I've written about this trend in marketing and advertising in my blog post, "'History is a source of strength' in today's economy." It's only natural that the movie industry also reflected this embrace of the past.

I'm not a huge fan of the big screen, so I really don't have any predictions or particular excitement about this year's Oscar Awards, but as a public historian and casual movie-goer, I am grateful that "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" was not on the list of nominees. No matter how you couch it, and despite the best of intentions of some museums, this sort of fiction is not history.

The fall of Nashville marks a turning point in the Civil War...

2012-02-25T12:00:00.000-06:00

On this day in history, Nashville fell to Union forces 150 years ago, and in today's edition of The Tennessean, State Historian Walter Durham and others take a look back at this important turning point in the Civil War...

The Fall of Nashville.
Image from the Tennessee State Library and Archives

The bad news reached Nashville on a Sunday morning, so scary and unexpected that church pews emptied in a flash. The Confederacy’s Fort Donelson, thought invincible days before, had fallen to Union soldiers some 80 miles down the Cumberland River.

“Church services were abandoned — people just ran out,” said Walter Durham, Tennessee state historian. “And the Lord was left behind.”

So began The Great Panic, an unprecedented scramble in an unfortified city of 30,000 people, a bustling river port geographically poised to grow as a rail hub. Fearing a vicious Yankee attack, families fled, officials cowered and mobs rioted for nine days. And then, 150 years ago today, a beleaguered mayor surrendered the South’s first capital city without a fight.

The episode ranks among the most revealing in Tennessee’s deep Civil War history. Through diaries that document those days, historians glimpse the South’s improvised fighting in the early going, the spread of rumors and the uncertainty about whether those who led the state to secession would be tried for treason.

An important point of emphasis, for me at least, is that images and diaries from the Tennessee State Library and Archives help to tell this important story. Click here to read the entire article, published in The Tennessean.

Follow Friday: A Twitter Weekly Roundup...

2012-02-24T06:00:00.001-06:00

It's been a very busy week in the news with lots of stories to share about archives and local history here in Tennessee.

The constraints of time and pressing matters at work and home sometimes prohibit me from writing about each one of these interesting stories in more detail on The Posterity Project, so from time to time I like to publish a roundup of links that I have collected from my Twitter news feed as a way to keep my blog readers up-to-date.

So with that said, here are a few of those links with brief "tweet" summaries to some of the best stories from the past week. I hope you'll enjoy clicking through and reading them as much as I did. I also hope you'll take this opportunity to follow me on Twitter where you'll find me documenting even more links to our past. Happy reading!

Another outstanding @npt8 #CivilWar episode, "Women and the War" http://www.wnpt.org/productions/civilwar/women/index.html Well done!

#SocialMedia and Organizational Change in #Museums museumsandtheweb.com/mw2011/papers/… Something for #archives to think about: http://posterityproject.blogspot.com/2011/12/thinking-outside-box-in-digital-age.html

@HistoryPressUSA We've entered the blogosphere! Follow our blog at http://www.historypressblog.net and then read http://tinyurl.com/6mruqve #newblog

#CivilWar Sesquicentennial #cw150: Nashville’s Occupation wpln.org/?p=34333 Nashville fell on Feb. 25, 1862 MT @WPLN

@EThomasWood My favorite story about the fall of Nashville to Union forces, 150 years ago this week: http://nashvillepost.com/news/2008/2/22/nashville_now_and_then_facing_the_consequences_or_not

Depths of #history: Efforts seek to resurrect fate of forgotten Sultana http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/20/depths-of-history/ #CivilWar

Practical tips for scanning tintypes: RT @margotnote Restoring Antique Tintype Photos http://awe.sm/5ftht h/t @sally_j

A great resource for Tennessee #genealogy: TNGenWeb Social Media Directory: http://tngenweb.org/social-media/ h/t @Taneya G+

Academic Networking 2.0: Historians and Social Media http://www.readex.com/readex/newsletters.cfm?newsletter=185&article=188 h/t @AHAhistorians

A fascinating look below my hometown: Underground city beneath Chattanooga is more than a curiosity http://timesfreepress.com/news/2012/feb/19/city-below-chattanooga-is-more-than-a-curiosity/ RT @TimesFreePress

"She is history" Bledsoe County historian first Tennessean to receive Nat'l Daughters of 1812 award http://timesfreepress.com/news/2012/feb/20/native-daughter-records-bledsoe-county-history/ RT @TimesFreePress

Reading my friend, Dr. Minoa Uffelman's article on @NYTcivilwar: The Nannie Haskins #CivilWar Diaries http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/the-nannie-diaries/

Documents within county courthouse records that proved the presence of slaves at @BlountMansion http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/feb/18/stories-of-blount-mansion-slaves-tell-history-of/ h/t @knoxnews

@utkhodges Special Collections acquires rare Bibles from Memphis estate knoxnews.com/news/2012/feb/… RT @knoxnews

75 years and growing: @TennStateParks celebrate milestone http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/feb/19/75-years-and-growing-tennessee-state-parks/ RT @knoxnews

@MarbleSprings Nice looking brochure! MT: Marble Springs State Historic Site, Home of John Sevier, unveils new brochure http://marblesprings.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-brochure-unveiled.html

Tennessee State Archivists to Visit in Washington County in Search of #CivilWar Memorabilia http://tnsos.org/Press/story.php?item=341

Gordon Belt is an information professional, special collections librarian, archives advocate, public historian, research consultant, and founding editor of The Posterity Project. He is the current president of the Society of Tennessee Archivists, and serves as Treasurer of TSLAFriends, the friends organization of the Tennessee State Library and Archives. As an extension of The Posterity Project, Gordon also offers short-term, project-based historical research and social media consulting services to archives, museums, historical societies, cultural heritage organizations, small businesses, authors, and individuals. Contact Gordon to find out how he can help you "Document the links to your past."

Shades of Gray and Blue...

2012-02-21T06:00:00.004-06:00

This may be old news to some, but somewhere between debunking the ghosthunters and exploring the War of 1812 I neglected to mention this important new online resource now available to students and to the general public...

"Shades of Gray and Blue" offers stories about how Civil War-era Tennesseans spent their lives away from the battlefield. The website, www.civilwarshades.org, includes digitized images of historical art and other cultural material. It includes contributions from scholars across Tennessee.

According to the "Shades of Gray and Blue" website, "This project is a collaborative effort of the Middle Tennessee State University Walker Library, the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University, and Vanderbilt University Libraries. The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area provided major funding for the project’s planning and implementation. Additional funding came from Anode, Inc., Vanderbilt University, and Middle Tennessee State University."

On "Civil War Shades" you can browse information by theme, enter keywords to locate information, or review lesson plans. The material is best geared toward students in middle school and older, so teachers will find this site especially useful in the classroom. The site includes images and information gathered from 23 of Tennessee’s 95 counties and a total of 74 historic homes, museums, cemeteries, and other historic properties" where Tennessee-made or-owned art and artifacts are brought to life through compelling stories of the Civil War on the home front in Tennessee.

Click on the "Shades of Gray and Blue" website to explore this exciting new online research tool.

Nashville Symposium on the Civil War this Saturday...

2012-02-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

Here's an event that may be of interest to Nashvillians and to Civil War enthusiasts throughout Middle Tennessee...

Nashville's Metropolitan Historical Commission Civil War Sesquicentennial Symposium
Mark your calendar and plan to join the Metropolitan Historical Commission for the second Civil War Sesquicentennial Symposium on Saturday, February 18, 2012. The event will take place at Fisk University, in the Little Theater, located on Dr. D. B. Todd Boulevard, near Jackson Street. This building was built as a Union Army barracks, and was one of the first structures used by Fisk University as it began after the Civil War. This most fitting place will host the event.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean will deliver the opening remarks.
Tim Smith, formerly with Shiloh National Battlefield Park and now with the University of Tennessee at Martin, will speak on the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson.
Dr. Carole Bucy, professor at Volunteer State Community College and Davidson County Historian, will then speak on The Great Panic, a period of great turmoil in the city following the fall of the two forts protecting the approach to the city.
The 1861 Project, a musical production of songs inspired by the Civil War.

Click here for a full schedule of events.

"Hours of research in the archives proved fruitful..."

2012-02-16T13:00:00.000-06:00

Rutherford County Archivist, John Lodl, worked together with Murfreesboro photographer Bill Shacklett to produce a new book entitled, Murfreesboro: Then and Now." The Daily News Journal filed this report...

Years ago Shacklett’s Photography founder Richard Shacklett began collecting pictures. Some were his own work; others were found or brought in to his shop. He amassed more than 30,000 images he considered of significance. His children, who now run the Shacklett’s business, turned the collection over to the Rutherford County Archives, where Lodl is director.

“They’ve given a real gift to the community,” Lodl said. “These photos are about local people, the history of our community for the last 100 to 150 years.”

From these images, 82 were chosen to be published for the book. Then Lodl and Shacklett painstakingly re-shot the photos as the city looks today from the same locations and angles, and even time of day, as the originals. Those additional 82 photos were paired up to create the meat of “Murfreesboro: Then and Now.”

The gravy, though, is Lodl’s captions, which provide interesting, and often amazing, details of each and every image. Hours of research in the archives proved fruitful when he was able to uncover information to accompany never-before-seen and rare photos...

Click here to read more from The Daily News Journal article.

Also, the Rutherford County Archives played an important role in the research behind another new book entitled, The Rutherford Rifles and the Struggle for Southern Independence. The Tennessean has this report...

Records Room of the Rutherford County Archives

As the sesquicentennial of the Civil War is remembered this year, Rutherford Countians will be able to reference the actions of a Confederate company from Rutherford County active in many skirmishes, including the Battle of Stones River.

Rutherford County author Barry Lamb’s latest Civil War book, “The Rutherford Rifles and the Struggle for Southern Independence,” should be on sale in Rutherford County in March. His earlier book from the period, “Rutherford County’s Civil War,” came out in 2011.

“I had heard of the ‘Rutherford Rifles,’ but it was nice to see the factual story in print,” said Denise Carlton, publisher of the new 260-page book. “(Lamb) is very detailed and meticulous in fact-finding and storytelling.”

Lamb conceived the idea of writing a book on the Rutherford Rifles in 2010. He used information from the Rutherford County Archives, census records and genealogies and even read a book in Linebaugh Library about a member of the “Rifles.”

Click here to read more from The Tennessean.

I really enjoy reading stories like these that highlight the importance of archives in scholarly research. Traci and I relied heavily on archives for our own book, Onward Southern Soldiers: Religion and the Army of Tennessee in the Civil War. Without these important public records, stories like these could never be told.

"A Forgotten Conflict" - The War of 1812 remembered...

2012-02-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Battle of New Orleans - TSLA Collection

The Tennessee State Museum recently announced its new exhibit and programming schedule recognizing the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. The exhibit, "Becoming the Volunteer State: Tennessee in the War of 1812," opens today, Thursday, February 16th, and will be on view in the museum’s Changing Galleries. Admission is free. I'm planning a visit to the museum very soon, and I'd encourage you to do the same.

On June 18, 1812, President James Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain, marking the beginning of the War of 1812. It is a conflict that has been declared America's "second war of independence," and gave birth to our "Star Spangled Banner." Here in Tennessee, the War of 1812 made Andrew Jackson a national political figure, and earned the state's nickname, "The Volunteer State." Yet outside of the community of historians and history enthusiasts, very few of us really know the details about this important event in United States history. As The Wall Street Journal noted recently, the War of 1812 "is a hard and confusing story to tell," which has "muddled the marketing message for organizers and fund-raisers trying to whip up enthusiasm for the bicentennial." Couple this knowledge with the fact that the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 has been overshadowed by the Civil War Sesquicentennial, and the general public is left with only a vague recollection of the war, gleaned from our high school history books...

This humorous video illustrates a serious point... Americans know very little about the War of 1812, and its bicentennial commemoration deserves more recognition than it is getting, so I wanted to take this opportunity to share a few of the online resources that are available to help tell the story of the war.

The War of 1812 in Tennessee

Here in my home state, the Tennessee State Library and Archives has compiled a "Brief History of Tennessee in the War of 1812," prepared by Dr. Tom Kanon, along with a new online exhibit entitled, "The Volunteer State Goes to War: The War of 1812 and Indian Wars." Here you'll find a good synopsis of Tennessee's role in the War of 1812, along with a bibliography, and digital images from TSLA's collections. The Tennessee State Library and Archives also has a list of "Materials at TSLA Pertaining to the War of 1812," featuring information about relevant microfilm and manuscripts, as well as a compilation of "Regimental Histories of Tennessee Units During the War of 1812."

War of 1812 Pension Application Files

Elsewhere, the Federation of Genealogical Societies, Fold3, and the National Archives are teaming up to help fund an effort to digitize the War of 1812 pension files. According to their website, "This initiative seeks to raise $3.7 million before the bicentennial of the start of the war and finish digitization before the bicentennial of the war's end in 2015." With 7.2 million images in 180,000 files, there is much digitization to do, and some of the work has already made its way online.

Maryland's Star-Spangled 200

The State of Maryland is by far the most invested in the War of 1812 bicentennial observance. The StarSpangled200.org website is rich with information about upcoming events, travel guides, and information about the history of the War of 1812, as well as teachers guides, and links to other historical groups which are commemorating the bicentennial of this conflict.

The Naval War of 1812

The United States Navy's Commemoration site for the War of 1812 provides a wealth of content, including an interactive timeline, a daily "200 Years Ago Today" history feature, and a link to a military history of the conflict.

Oh Canada!

Our neighbors to the North have also put together a collection of online resources. The Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council celebrates the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 in the Niagara Region and Niagara Frontier. Their website includes links to news, events, a history of the War of 1812, and a trip planner. The Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council has also partnered with Brock University which has created a website documenting thousands of images of artifacts and records dealing with all the aspects of life during the 1812.

I'm sure I have just scratched the surface on the online educational resources that are available on the War of 1812. I'd be very interested in locating more sites, with a particular emphasis on interactive or social media engagement. If you know of any, please comment or contact me by e-mail. I'd love to see more efforts like these that recognize this important event in American history.

The ghosts of blog posts past...

2012-02-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

Ebenezer Scrooge confronts his own ghosts in "A Christmas Carol."

I received a lot of feedback on Twitter to my recent blog post, "Haunted history: Is this really heritage tourism?," and have had an unusually high number of views on this story since it was first published on Sunday. I wanted to take this opportunity to publicly thank everyone who took the time to read and react to this story, and I wanted to elaborate on a few fine points.

Suzanne Fischer pointed out to me an important point about ghost hunting on her blog, Public Historian. She writes...

"As historians, we 'talk to ghosts' through archives and material culture, but we are careful to acknowledge our sources, and to accept an ultimate uncertainty about people’s emotions, motives, and intentions. When we have an anecdotal source, we evaluate it differently than a well-documented source. Unfortunately, ghosthunting is all anecdotal."

I think Suzanne's analysis is spot-on. She goes on to say that "ghosthunting seminars can be a creative programming idea for a historic house museum if they don’t take themselves too seriously." This is where I think the Volunteer State Paranormal Research group and I part ways. They seem to take what they are doing very seriously, whereas I have serious misgivings about the whole enterprise, and the way in which history is compromised for a "Gold Ticket" and $125.

Also, in following up on some of the conversations on Twitter about my blog post, I ran across an article that really brings into focus what I think that the Clement Museum should be doing to both raise money for the museum and to raise an awareness of history.

The Roanoke Times featured a story about the Salem Museum's "Ghost Walk," in which reenactors portraying deceased historical figures tell their stories, and answer questions from the public...

“We have found no more effective way to teach folks about local history than the Ghost Walk,” said Museum Director John Long. “Think about it– if the people in a cemetery could rise up and tell us about their lives, how much could we learn? Our Ghost Walk gives us the chance to talk to our forebears, in a sense.”

There is no ambiguity about whether the "ghosts" are real or fake. They are obviously actors in period costume. There is also an effort to deliver a historical narrative, and to educate the public. The Nashville City Cemetery has a similar "Living History" program in place that is quite good, and should serve as a model for other cultural heritage sites to follow...

Ultimately, people have the freedom to spend their money however they see fit, as long as their activity doesn't break any laws. Anyone who chooses to spend their money at the Clement Museum on a golden ticket to the paranormal has the right to do it. But as someone on Twitter pointed out to me, when a museum chooses to walk away from its educational mission to chase a few dollars in this paranormal exercise, "it erodes professional standards--and then where do you stop?"

I've really enjoyed reading your tweets, comments and online reaction to this story. Whether you agree with me or not, I am glad that we have had this discussion. Feel free to continue this conversation with me in the comments below, on Twitter, or my other social media outposts. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Shelby County Archives amazing discovery...

2012-02-14T13:00:00.000-06:00

You never know what you'll find in the archives...

They might hold treasure, lost images from one of the darkest points in this city's history.

Or they might hold nothing, just blank and brittle ribbons of static.

Either way, Shelby County Register Tom Leatherwood wants to find out what's on nine recently discovered film reels that appear to document the incarceration and trial of James Earl Ray, the man who murdered Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nearly 44 years ago.

"We don't really know what's on these tapes," Leatherwood said Thursday afternoon. "Worst-case scenario, they're blank. They've deteriorated and there's nothing on them."

The reels were discovered last spring, tucked inside an old credenza in an office being used for storage at the Criminal Justice Center Downtown.

Last year, the county archives made available dozens of never-before-seen still photos and letters from Ray documenting his incarceration following the assassination of King.

Leatherwood and his staff had read hints in other documents that the sheriff had bought a movie camera to document Ray's time in Memphis. That led them to look for the films.

Eight of the films are on 5-inch reels while the last is on a 7-inch reel. Combined, they could hold more than three hours of footage.

Read more from the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Virtual Tour of Tennessee Capitol Building considered...

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Here's a very interesting piece of legislation that was recently introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly...

The secretary of state is authorized to produce a virtual tour of the state capitol, capitol annexes and grounds and to publish the virtual tour on the websites of the general assembly and of the secretary of state. The secretary of state may reproduce the virtual tour on electronic media. The secretary of state is further authorized, acting through the state librarian and archivist, to distribute to any public or private elementary, middle, junior high or senior high school the virtual tour on electronic media.

A virtual tour of the Tennessee Capitol Building... That's "thinking outside the box in the digital age."

I like this legislative initiative by Sen. Ken Yager and Rep. Jim Coley. This kind of foresight and effort to bring civic education and history to a born-digital generation is refreshing in a political climate that can, at times, get a bit heated. I hope that this bill gets the hearing it deserves, and passes the Tennessee General Assembly without opposition.

Haunted history: Is this really heritage tourism?

2012-02-12T10:30:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday, the Clement Railroad Hotel and Museum in Dickson, Tennessee begins selling tickets to what is described as a "Public Paranormal Investigation." According to Volunteer State Paranormal Research:

The Hotel Halbrook is located in historic downtown Dickson, TN. The hotel was constructed in 1913 and is one of the few remaining examples of a railroad hotel in a small Tennessee town. The Museum features exhibits and programming involving the Civil War, railroading, and local and regional history. The location and building has been used for various business and functions through history. The museum opened in June of 2009. Since the opening, there have been reports from some of the employees that they have encountered unexplained sightings and events at the Hotel Halbrook.

The VSPR offers as proof of paranormal activity this photo and explanation:

Here is a photo from the October 2011 Public Investigation. The Gift shop windows were fogged over. The EMF meters started to show activity. The team asked, “If you’re making the meters blink, can you go touch the window to show us you’re here?” After the question was asked, ten people witnessed a hand print appearing on the glass window. Here is the photo of the Hand print.

Still unconvinced? For the skeptics among us, the VSPR and the Clement Museum are offering museum visitors an opportunity to spend a night at the museum with paranormal experts in a public investigation of this ghostly phenomenon. For $75, ten people get a chance to see first-hand the public investigation of paranormal activity in the museum, and for two people willing to purchase "Gold" tickets at $125 a piece, these select few can have a one-on-one experience with the ghost hunters as they search for the unexplained.

The guest speaker for the evening is Mike Sears, who is the Director of the VSPR and a volunteer docent at the Clement Museum. He claims that he "has witnessed and heard things at the museum that couldn’t be explained." Mike Sears' team of investigators recently visited the Rippavilla Plantation in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and the story was featured on "Tennessee Crossroads"...

At the risk of being called a skeptic, I have to ask... Does this type of paranormal programming really fulfill the mission of a historic museum to educate the public about the past?

I was on hand for the Grand Opening Celebration of the Clement Museum back in 2009, and I firmly believe in its historic significance as the birthplace of Gov. Frank G. Clement and as an important railroad hub in Dickson County, but I'm having a little trouble believing that this event is something a museum should be doing to promote heritage tourism.

I am not alone in my skepticism. Sharon Hill wrote a blog post about this very topic entitled, "Paranormal tourism: fun or fraud?" In the article, Hill writes...

Labeling a location “haunted” is silly and borders on fraud. Ghost stories are stories. Unexplained or unnerving experiences that any individuals have reported in the past can not be confirmed. Once in a while, a historic tragedy can be confirmed at a precise location but a critical point is ignored: NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT GHOSTS EXIST! So, to say so matter-of-factly that a spirit lingers there that causes a visitor to get the heebie-jeebies is unreasonable speculation. Even if there are long-standing legends of strange events occurring at some location, to suggest that a place is haunted just to freak people out is contemptible. Ghost stories lend a particular atmosphere to historic places. Or, one may also conclude that historic places ooze with a “haunted” atmosphere cultivated by our pro-paranormal pop culture.

Ghost hunting is big business. In another story, Reuters reported that the town of Harriman, Tennessee hosted paranormal researchers in the city's plan to lure ghost tourists to its 121-year-old Temperance Building who would pay $299 for all-night visits by up to six people and $30 per person for three-hour tours.

In the current economic climate, historic museums are strapped for cash, and are looking for new ways to draw tourists, but I really have to question whether this type of fundraiser should happen at a historic museum. In my view this programming diminishes the Clement Museum's credibility, and in no way represents the kind of historic interpretation that should be happening at a historic site.

What do you think?

CONTINUED: "The ghosts of blog posts past" on The Posterity Project.

Onward Southern Soldiers interview on NPT...

2012-02-10T13:00:00.000-06:00

Traci and I are very excited to announce that we've been invited for an interview with John Seigenthaler for his program, "A Word on Words," airing locally on Nashville Public Television. Our taping is scheduled for Valentine's Day, February 14th. When we find out when the program will air, we'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, I want to publicly thank John Seigenthaler, and the folks at NPT for offering us this air time to talk about our book, Onward Southern Soldiers: Religion and the Army of Tennessee in the Civil War. We're looking forward to our conversation.

Here's a word about "A Word on Words"...

Each Sunday morning, A Word on Words invites you into an in depth discussion between renowned journalist and First Amendment advocate John Seigenthaler and some of the today’s finest novelists, journalists, historians, memoirists and more.

Among the diverse list of notable guests who have appeared on the show over the years are John Updike, Erma Bombeck, Gay Talese, Kris Kristofferson, Robert Hicks, Ann Patchett, David Halberstam, David Maraniss, Kinky Friedman, Studs Terkel, Al Gore Jr., Gail Sheehy, Rick Bragg and Deepak Chopra.

When Seigenthaler closes each episode of A Word on Words with his signature signoff, “Keep Reading,” he means it. Seigenthaler has been hosting the show and celebrating reading and writing for over 35 years.

About Onward Southern Soldiers...

ONWARD SOUTHERN SOLDIERS: RELIGION AND THE ARMY OF TENNESSEE IN THE CIVIL WAR (The History Press, August 2011 - 128 pp. Over 45 images. $19.99 plus $5.00 shipping/handling)

The Civil War was trying, bloody and hard-fought combat for both sides. What was it, then, that sustained soldiers low on supplies and morale? For the Army of Tennessee, it was religion. Onward Southern Soldiers: Religion and the Army of Tennessee in the Civil War explores the significant impact of religion on every rank, from generals to chaplains to common soldiers. It took faith to endure overwhelming adversity. Religion unified troops, informing both why and how they fought and providing the rationale for enduring great hardship for the Confederate cause. Using primary source material such as diaries, letters, journals and sermons of the Army of Tennessee, Traci Nichols-Belt, along with Gordon T. Belt, presents the history of the vital role of the army’s religious practices.

Tennessee History Day needs volunteers...

2012-02-09T13:00:00.000-06:00

Tennessee History Day is right around the corner, and as President of the Society of Tennessee Archivists, I am very pleased to say that our organization has offered to help in its continuing relationship with this fun and educational annual event.

Each year, the STA provides a $50 cash award to the best History Day project in both the Junior Division and Senior Division that uses primary sources such as letters, diaries, personal papers, photographs, etc., for research on a historical topic. The sources must be from an institution located in Tennessee. Primary sources in Tennessee can be found in archival repositories such as city or county archives, church archives, history museums, local history departments in libraries, or the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Special consideration will be given to students who do on-site research at the repository rather than using online resources.

Jennifer Core, state coordinator for Tennessee History Day, has put out a call for volunteers to assist with a variety of duties. I've asked our STA membership to consider volunteering, and I hope readers of The Posterity Project will do so as well. If you'd like to help, here's Jennifer's e-mail which explains how you can assist...

Tennessee History Day is a state affiliate of National History Day and the Tennessee Historical Society is proud to be the sponsor of the state-level History Day competition. On Saturday, April 21, 2012, approximately 250 students from across the state of Tennessee will travel to Nashville to compete in the state-level competition to be held in downtown Nashville. Winners at the state competition will go on to College Park, Maryland, to represent Tennessee at the National History Day competition in June.

To host a successful competition for the students, their teachers and parents, the THS needs approximately 100 volunteers to serve as judges of student projects and approximately 30 additional volunteers to help with registration, room monitoring, and other duties.

I am writing to you today to ask you to please consider volunteering on April 21st. The students need your support! Below you'll find details on our specific needs and the required commitment.

Judges

The commitment to serve as a judge requires that you be in downtown Nashville at approximately 8:30 a.m. on April 21st for a one hour orientation. Judging will begin that day around 10 a.m. and will continue until around 1:30 p.m. Lunch and a light breakfast will be provided. Prior to April 21st, you will be provided with materials regarding the specific category in which you'll be judging. Students depend on the feedback provided by the judges to learn more about their topic and to improve their projects before competing at a higher level. The judging process is critical to the success of the competition and to the learning process for these students.

Judges will review projects in one of five categories: museum-style exhibit, multimedia documentary, website, research paper, or dramatic performance. You'll be judging in either the Junior Division (grades 6-8) or Senior Division (grades 9-12). If you have a preference for what category or division you'd like to judge in, please let us know and we'll do our best to honor your request.

Other Volunteers

The commitment to serve as a volunteer in other capacities varies depending on the post. While some volunteers will be needed as early as 8 a.m. on the day of competition, most will arrive by 9 a.m. and should be finished no later than 3 p.m. We need volunteers to help with set-up, student and teacher registration, room monitoring, and many other duties. Lunch will also be provided.

For more information, contact Jennifer Core at the Tennessee Historical Society by phone at: 615-741-8934 or by e-mail at: historyday@tennesseehistory.org. I hope you'll consider joining me and the Society of Tennessee Archivists in this rewarding experience.

RELATED LINK:

Tennessee Students Compete for Honors at District History Day Contests - Tennessee Secretary of State (press release)

Archives interest in Pinterest...

2012-02-09T07:30:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, fellow archives blogger, Melissa Mannon, drew my attention to a new social media tool that is currently making quite a visual statement.

Pinterest is a social bookmarking site that lets you place web content into sticky-note sized blocks that you can organize onto pinboards that fill the entire browser screen. The majority of each block is filled by a photo, and the ability to “like,” “repin” or comment at the bottom make it look like its own mini web page.

Pinterest goes against the conventional ways of organizing information online based on reverse chronology, as favored by Twitter and Facebook, relying instead on visual organization. As Melissa has smartly pointed out, this visual organization technique makes Pinterest a very powerful tool for archives and cultural heritage organizations looking for new ways to share online content, collaborate with others, drive Internet traffic, and generate dialogue about digital collections.

In my preliminary search of Pinterest, I noticed several users have bookmarked and sourced images from the National Archives and the Library of Congress. The Smithsonian also has its own outpost on Pinterest.

The Smithsonian Institution's Pinterest site.

For an archivist's perspective on Pinterest, I'd encourage you to visit Melissa Mannon's blog, ArchivesInfo, for a thorough review, along with links to additional content, and a few ideas on how to use Pinterest as an outreach tool. You can also check out the following links for further information:

Pinterest listed among the "50 Best Websites of 2011" - Time magazine
Pinterest: Everything You Need To Know Is In This Massive Post - SocialMouths
Meet Pinterest: A Private Social Pinboard That Collects Your Online Memories - Mashable
Pinterest Joins Twitter And Facebook As The Newest Self-Expression Engine - Techcrunch
How to Get a Pinterest Invite - Mashable

Mapping Tennessee's Civil War history...

2012-02-07T06:00:00.001-06:00

The Civil War Sesquicentennial has inspired a number of projects and initiatives by archivists and digital historians looking for new ways to chronicle our nation's most bloody conflict. Today, I'd like to highlight two online projects using digital maps to document Civil War history in my home state of Tennessee.

Last summer, I shared news about the Tennessee State Library and Archives' new online interactive research tool called the Tennessee Civil War GIS Project.

TSLA's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology makes it possible to integrate data about the Civil War in a user-friendly geographical interface, bringing hundreds of engagements and battles to your screen with aerial photography and modern map layers. The Tennessee Civil War GIS Project also links to narrative information from the Official Records and the Tennessee Civil War Sourcebook. It includes 1860 county Census data and unit histories for every Tennessee regiment from Tennesseans in the Civil War. It also features many original maps, documents, diaries, and photographs from TSLA's historic collections.

There are several useful applications for the Tennessee Civil War GIS Project, including:

A powerful tool for battlefield preservationists.

The robust interface and sophisticated graphics application makes it ideal for research. Students, teachers, re-enactors, and anyone interested in Civil War history can use the map for a variety of research projects.

For anyone planning a Civil War themed vacation itinerary, the site displays Tennessee's rich array of Civil War sites, parks and memorials.

In a related story, the Baylor University Libraries Digital Collections blog recently published a story about efforts to put the War of the Rebellion Atlas online, and their collaboration with Zada Law, Director of the Fullerton Laboratory for Spatial Technology at Middle Tennessee State University. According to the article:

Defenses of Nashville, Tenn. from the War of the Rebellion Atlas.
Image credit: Baylor University Library Digital Collections

Law will be utilizing high-resolution copies of several Atlas maps of the Nashville area to see if defensive earthworks built around the city by Federal forces might still be discoverable today, almost 150 years after the war ended.

Law, a PhD candidate at MTSU, plans to overlay the Atlas images with “modern high resolution orthographic aerial images.” Using records from the Tennessee Division of Archaeology and enhanced elevation (LiDAR) datasets, she hopes to locate “previously unrecorded extant earthwork sections or identify where archaeological traces of entrenchments may still remain.”

Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm a bit of a map geek, and I have an appreciation for cartography that goes way back, so I was thrilled to learn about these exciting new projects involving my home state of Tennessee.

Visit the Tennessee Civil War GIS Project to explore TSLA's online map project, and read Baylor University's Digital Collections blog to learn more about Tennessee's connection to the War of Rebellion Atlas.

Product Review: Flip-Pal

2012-02-03T06:00:00.001-06:00

This past Christmas, Santa put the Flip-Pal in my stocking, and since then I've had a chance to put this little gizmo to the test with a personal genealogy project. Here are a few brief first impressions on this portable scanning tool...

The Flip-Pal is easy to use. Simply place your image on the scanner and with one touch of the button you have a digital scan of the photograph or document you need.

The Flip-Pal's small size makes it easy to transport, and handy for small digital archiving projects. It also operates on batteries, so you're not encumbered by power cords or wires.

The Flip-Pal's "easy-stitch" feature allows you to scan larger photographs or documents with several passes.

On this last point, I do have one criticism. With images up to 11x17, the Flip-Pal's "easy-stitch" feature works quite well, but for extremely large images I found it to be problematic. I attempted to scan and stitch a photograph of my father's high school trip to Washington, D.C. It's large size -- 10x36 inches -- forced me to make 24 passes with the Flip-Pal, and the "easy-stitch" software produced some rather strange results...

To remedy this, I enlisted the help of a friend who suggested that I try the Microsoft Image Composite Editor, which took my 24 scans and easily stitched them together...

The stitching feature can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on the size of your image, but with a little patience and a careful eye to make sure you're overlapping scans for a complete image, this can be a great way to duplicate large-format images in a digital format.

Here is a brief video explaining how the Flip-Pal can be used for your own personal scanning project. If you're looking for an economical and convenient way to scan photo albums, letters, documents, and even three-dimensional objects for family history projects, the Flip-Pal is a great little gadget to add to your wish list.

For a more thorough review of the Flip-Pal and its many features, head over to Marian's Roots and Rambles blog where you'll find a very extensive series on the Flip-Pal, and some handy advice on how to best utilize this scanning device.

Bottom line: I think the Flip-Pal was well worth the purchase price for use in small scanning projects -- especially if you plan to travel to see relatives, and you don't want to lug around a large computer and scanner to document family photos. My only complaint is the functionality of the pre-installed "easy-stitch" software on large-format images like the one I tried in this review. Anything larger than 11x17, and you might have to use another software tool to do the stitching. I used Microsoft Image Composite Editor, which is free to download online, but you could also use Adobe Photoshop. If you have small photographs and mementos, then the Flip-Pal works as advertised. I like it. My parents have a lot of photos back home that I want to digitize when I make a return trip for a visit, so this little gizmo does the trick, and it's easy to use. I'd recommend it.

Happy scanning!

Vanderbilt launches new digital archive and website for study of slave records

2012-02-02T07:30:00.000-06:00

Vanderbilt University recently issued a press release announcing the launch of the university’s new Ecclesiastical and Secular Sources for Slave Societies digital archive and website. According to the university's website, "The ESSSS project is dedicated to identifying, cataloguing, and digitally preserving endangered archival materials documenting the history of Africans and Afro-descended peoples in the Iberian colonies."

Vanderbilt is also hosting a three-day conference in connection with the launch of this website. Renowned experts on preservation of African and Afro-descended slave records will gather at Vanderbilt on Feb. 2-4. A variety of scholars will be on hand to present their research on preserving slave society records in Africa, Cuba, Colombia and Brazil.

The conference is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Center for Latin American Studies at 615-322-2527 or email clas@vanderbilt.edu.

Visit the new Ecclesiastical and Secular Sources for Slave Societies website to learn more about this important digital archiving project.

RELATED LINKS:

Celebrate African-American History Month at the Nashville Metro Archives...

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

My friend, Ken Fieth, over at the Metro Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, has a great lineup of public events scheduled during the month of February. If you're in the neighborhood, I'd suggest taking some time to visit...

Tuesday, February 7th 2:30-3:30 pm

Fletch Coke & Clyde Thompson, Board members of the Nashville City Cemetery Association, will present a program about African Americans at City Cemetery. What do the burial records reveal? Learn about the history of some remarkable African Americans who lived in Nashville.

Tuesday, February 14th 2:30-3:30 pm

William Ratcliff, a USCT re-enactor for almost 25 years, will talk about the role of the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War especially their efforts during second day of the Battle of Nashville, December 16, 1864.

Saturday, February 18th 9:30-11:30 am

African American Genealogy Workshop. Gail Randolph Harlan will discuss how she traced her African American Randolph family back to Virginia and how her techniques can benefit other researchers. Debie Cox, archivist, will speak about the holdings of original wills, marriage bonds and chancery court loose papers, helpful in African American research, that are only available at Metro Archives. Limited Seating. Call 615-862-5880 to reserve a place.

REMEMBER THESE EVENTS TAKE PLACE AT THE METRO NASHVILLE ARCHIVES: 3801 GREEN HILLS VILLAGE DRIVE, NASHVILLE, TN 37215. PHONE 615-862-5880 for more information.

Reciprocity: The Value of Twitter for Archivists...

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

rec·i·proc·i·ty. Noun. The practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit.

I've blogged several times in the past about my own use of Twitter and it's value to me as an information professional, but today I wanted to write a brief blog post about the value of Twitter for archives and archivists in an effort to get Tennessee's archival community thinking about how Twitter can be used to promote collections and communicate with the professional community of archivists who use this unique social media site.

To the uninitiated, Twitter is a microblogging social media platform that allows you to "tweet," or broadcast, a message in 140 characters or less. This forced brevity can be a challenge to those among us who like to expand on thoughts beyond the 140 character limit, but it can also be a great way to make your message clear and direct. I do not like to use texting language or abbreviation when I compose a tweet, so this really forces me to be clear with my language, and economize my words in order to get to the heart of a particular subject.

Initially, I was a skeptic of Twitter, but I overcame my reluctance with the realization that Twitter is an indispensable tool for connecting and networking with professional colleagues, sharing information and links to interesting stories found online, and promoting my work on The Posterity Project to a larger audience. On that later point, it is quite clear in viewing the analytics for my blog that my audience has increased dramatically since I opened my Twitter account. Twitter has provided me with more connections to interesting people and content than I could ever imagine by relying on blogging alone.

But for me, the key value of Twitter is "reciprocity." I've learned so much from my professional colleagues on Twitter through their willingness to share information, and connect with me in a mutual exchange of knowledge and ideas. Here is a brief primer on Twitter, along with a few ideas and suggestions on how you can get started using Twitter to promote your archive and your own professional social media profile...

What are Twitter's practical applications?

You can use Twitter to promote your archives' website or blog.
You can get feedback from others.
You can also build and maintain a personal, professional or institutional profile on Twitter.

What are Hashtags?

Hashtags are keywords preceded by a '#' symbol. It is an easy way to locate information on a particular topic, or get your message out to a wider audience.
For example, I use #archives quite frequently to share stories about archives and archival institutions.
People often use Twitter's Search page to locate information. Hashtags are a great way to get your tweets included in the conversation.

What is a Retweet?

You can use "RT" to repeat information sent out by one of your followers, or use Twitter's "retweet" link to republish someone's original tweet on your own profile page.
Retweeting gives tweets composed by others a second life, by rebroadcasting that information across to your own list of followers.
Retweeting also gives credit where credit is due. If you see a link from someone else that you follow and rebroadcast it on your own Twitter feed, be sure to cite the source.

How can I communicate directly with someone on Twitter?

If your profile is legitimate, and you're not sending a barrage of spammy tweets, a Direct Message (DM) to someone on Twitter will almost always get a response.
You can also reply in public by including a person's Twitter handle in your response. Typing @gordonbelt will always get my attention.

How to get started?

Go to Twitter and create a personal or institutional account.
Consider using your real name, rather than a pseudonym, which gives you your own unique voice and lends credibility to your tweets.
Choose a profile image that accurately reflects your own personality or professional image. Don't be afraid to be yourself.
Start by listening. Follow others with similar interests. You can even follow me and see who I'm following for information and ideas.

If you're not yet on Twitter, I hope that this brief introduction inspires you to give microblogging a try. In my estimation, the outreach possibilities for archives on Twitter are endless.

Tennessee Archivist newsletter has arrived!

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

The Society of Tennessee Archivists Winter 2012 newsletter, Tennessee Archivist, is published and now available on the STA website. Our editors, Chapel Cowden and Sarah Shippy Copeland, have done a great job bringing together new content for the newsletter, and highlighting our most recent annual meeting back in October. I encourage you to head over to the Society of Tennessee Archivists website and take a look at this latest edition of Tennessee Archivist, and if you're not yet a member of STA, I hope you'll take this opportunity to join us.

Too square for Foursquare...

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

While I'm a big advocate for social media in archives, I have to admit that until recently, I have not been too impressed with one particular social media tool: Foursquare.

Foursquare is a location-based social networking service that encourages users to earn points and badges by "checking in" at locations through their smartphone with the Foursquare app. I'm most familiar with Foursquare through my Twitter followers who post updates on their current locations.

To be honest, my first impression of Foursquare was that it seemed to be a rather trivial use of social media. I really didn't think much of Foursquare as an outreach tool for archivists until I read an article entitled, "Archives on the Go" by Aimee Morgan, which was recently published in the Nov./Dec. 2011 issue of the Society of American Archivists Archival Outlook newsletter.

In the article (SAA member access only), Morgan highlights Stanford University Special Collections' outreach efforts on Foursquare. As Mattie Taormina, head of Special Collections at Stanford University, notes in the article:

"I worked with Foursquare staff to advertise limited-time 'specials' through their app." The 'specials' were one-on-one sessions with an archivist, who provided information about and opportunities to view some of the hidden gems of Stanford's collections."

It was an eye-opening article that is definitely worth a read. Inside this issue there is also an article entitled, "Facebook Me, Then Follow Me on Twitter: Documentation Strategies in a Social Media World," which offers strategies for archivists who want to capture and document social media activity in organizations, and utilize social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to make connections. If you're not a SAA member, beg or borrow a copy from a member and check it out.

But I digress... As computing becomes more mobile, I can see social media tools like Foursquare becoming more useful to archivists looking to expand their outreach beyond the box. Thinking more broadly, as smartphones become commonplace, archivists should consider the possibilities. Creating mobile apps for digital collections, and utilizing iTunes to share oral histories are just two mobile media applications that come to my mind as effective and informative outreach ideas.

So what do you think? Is Foursquare worth a try or just a passing fad? I'm curious to know what you think about this location-based social media tool and its potential for archival institutions.

Looking Back: The Civil War in Tullahoma...

2012-01-23T10:00:00.000-06:00

This photo of a confederate soldier
and many other Civil War artifacts
were digitally archived by TSLA
in Tullahoma on Friday.
Image credit: Tullahoma News

The Tullahoma News and The Shelbyville Times-Gazette both recently published stories covering the Tennessee State Library and Archives' recent visit to Tullahoma in support of their ongoing mission to digitally chronicle Tennessee's Civil War history.

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the Tennessee State Library and Archives has been sending teams of professional archivists and conservators to communities across Tennessee. During these visits, digital copies of Civil War era manuscripts, artifacts, and photographs are created. These copies, representing the rich Civil War heritage of Tennessee families, will become a part of a virtual exhibit on TSLA's website.

Click here to see what they've "collected" so far and to learn how your institution can become involved in this exciting project.

RELATED LINKS:

Read more from "Display highlights local connection to Civil War," published in The Tullahoma News
Read more from "Project gives Civil War items new life," published in The Shelbyville Times-Gazette
Looking Back: The Civil War in Tennessee - Tennessee State Library and Archives

A Flickr of hope for Tennessee's archives...

2012-01-20T06:00:00.004-06:00

In recent weeks, I have highlighted some social media and digital archiving innovations by the Smithsonian, the National Archives, and the Library of Congress to illustrate a point: Connectivity and interactivity are critical components of any online outreach effort. These nationally-known cultural heritage institutions have been unafraid to experiment, allowing the end user to interact with content. Social media gives archivists an opportunity to step outside the box and into a new world, making their collections relevant to a whole new audience.

Today, I'd like to bring the focus back to my home state of Tennessee, where in my estimation social media use by archives is vastly underutilized. The image sharing site, Flickr, for example, shows great promise and potential, particularly for archival institutions with a limited budget. Yet, based on my own unscientific survey of Tennessee's cultural heritage organizations, Flickr is not widely used by Tennessee archivists. There is really no reason at all for archives not to have some social media presence on Flickr. It's free, it's easy to use, and for smaller institutions, Flickr is a great way to share your archives' collections with the public with very little expense.

Here are a couple of examples where my fellow Tennessee archivists have taken advantage of what Flickr has to offer...

Friends of the Nashville Metro Archives

Images from Nashville's past come to life on the Friends of the Metro Archives Flickr photostream. There are 152 images in this online collection -- both black-and-white and color photographs of buildings, public places and even maps -- taken at various times in Nashville's history.

The images appear to have been uploaded from 2003-2005, yet despite the lack of recent activity the Friends of the Nashville Metro Archives have left a unique online record of Nashville's past.

Some of the images offer detailed descriptions while others have only an image number and location. Here is a wonderful opportunity for someone with a keen interest and expertise in Nashville history to contribute to the online narrative. Flickr offers users the opportunity to comment, share, or add images to your own list of favorites. A picture is worth a thousand words, but descriptions are priceless to historians and archivists looking to solve a mystery or identify an unknown location, building or person in a photograph.

The Nashville Flood Digital History Project (Nashville Public Library)

The Nashville Public Library's 2010 Flood Digital History Project was announced in October following the devastating floods in May of that year.

The project utilizes videos, photographs and personal accounts to record the May flood's aftermath. The Nashville Public Library and 11 other community agencies began interviewing first responders, business owners and residents who experienced the flood. Additionally, the NPL established a presence on Flickr where individuals could share their own personal photos from the flood.

History does not have to be in the distant past to be worth saving and sharing with others. The 2010 floods impacted thousands of lives in Middle Tennessee, and the effects are still lingering for many others to this very day. This outreach effort by the NPL illustrates how Flickr can connect a user with an institution in a very meaningful way, not just focusing on the history of our past, but also chronicling the history we are living today.

Where to go for more inspiration?

So Tennessee archivists, here's your call to action. If you're looking for more inspiration to get started using Flickr, I would encourage you to check out the Flickr Commons where you can access the hidden treasures of some of the world's greatest photography archives, including The Library of Congress, The Smithsonian, The New York Public Library and The U.S. National Archives.

You can easily connect to Flickr through other social media outposts such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, and you can give your images context by adding descriptions such as titles, tags, location, and names of people, making searches useful and dynamic. Through comments, favorites, tagging, and notes, Flickr also allows end users the ability to interact and participate with your collections, providing your archive with a powerful descriptive tool.

Be aware, however, that Flickr does have its weaknesses, as was recently pointed out in a very informative comment by Tom Wood on my previous blog post about NARA's "Citizen Archivist" initiative. Nevertheless, archivists should not be afraid to think outside the box and take a step or two outside our physical institutions to reach the public. Social media tools like Flickr are just one way to accomplish this.

King Center Imaging Project launched...

2012-01-17T12:00:00.000-06:00

Rev. Martin Luther King's papers — 200,000 documents in all — will be available online for the first time today, as the nation marks Martin Luther King Day.

The King Center Imaging Project, financed and overseen by JPMorgan Chase, offers free public access to the papers at www.TheKingCenter.org/archive...

About the Archive

The King Center Imaging Project brings the works and papers of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to a digital generation. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began the project in April of 2011 with the intent to preserve, digitize and make publically available some of the extensive holdings of The King Center Archive collection.

Through the JPMorgan Chase's Technology for Social Good program, a team of highly skilled individuals has been organized to help digitize more than 1 million documents. The team consists of imaging and archival experts, as well as students from Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, the King family's alma maters and US Veterans from the US Veterans Curation Program.

The digital archive is a dynamic collection. Visitors are encouraged to check back regularly, as new content is always being added to the site.

Click here to browse the King Center's Digital Archive.

RELATED LINK:

The King Center Digital Archive & Website Promo Video...

Experience your digital collections with Viewshare...

2012-01-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

Trevor Owens (@tjowens), a digital archivist with the Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (@ndiipp), recently brought to my attention a very interesting digital history project called Viewshare.

Viewshare is a free platform for generating and customizing views, including interactive maps (I'm a sucker for maps), timelines, facets, and tag clouds that allows users to experience digital collections in a highly interactive way. Using data from a simple spreadsheet or MODS records, Viewshare's open source software offers cultural heritage institutions the opportunity to create dynamic interfaces to digital collections. Data containing information about a digital collection can be turned into an interactive map, timeline, table, graph, or list, and it easily interfaces with your existing website. Viewshare is also compatible with Dublin Core data accessible via Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting. This means that hundreds if not thousands of digital cultural heritage collections can now be directly imported into the software.

Click here to watch a screencast for an overview of Viewshare's capabilities and potential for your own digital collections, and click here to learn how to start using Viewshare. You can also click here to see how other cultural heritage organizations are using Viewshare to enhance, interpret, and enable access to their digital collections.

In my estimation, Viewshare is just one more outstanding way that archivists are "thinking outside the box in the digital age." Kudos to Trevor Owens and the Library of Congress for making this amazing and interactive user interface available to a larger audience.